Remember When It Rained
by KAGluvsINU
Summary: Inuyasha has suffered the worst loss possible. Can he deal with it and move on or does it consume him? One-shot, but please continue to the end even if you don't like the way it starts out. It gets better, promise!


A/N: The title is a song by Josh Groban. The lyrics of the song are found throughout the story. I thought the story would sound better to have the lyrics show up in different areas of the tale than to just have the words written before or during the actual story. The actual song is completely gorgeous so you should definitely check it out.

2nd A/N: I went back and added just a few minor touch-ups, correcting the grammar, and adding a sentence or two here and there. I did nothing to change the story, just gave it the spit and shine I thought it needed. Plus, it means that my story ends up at front again. So in case some of you missed it the first time around, here it is again.

Disclaimer: I, of course, do not own any of the Inuyasha characters. Ms. Rumiko Takahashi has all rights to them. I just like to write about 'em! And of course I have no rights of Josh Groban, although…. 

Remember When It Rained

Naraku falls silently to the ground defeated by an arrow stained with the blood of the miko whose hand was cut as she aimed straight for his heart. Yet he manages to send one last tentacle into her chest, pushing past her barrier at the last moment. As he disintegrates into black ash, Kagome crumples to the ground. Screaming her name, Inuyasha runs to the fallen girl, unable to get to her in time. Lifting her torn body into his arms, he begs for her to hold on, to not leave him. She smiles gently at him, lifting her hand still bleeding from the arrow that had sliced the back of it. Touching his face, she speaks of her love to him. He looks into the eyes of the one he has loved from the moment he saw her, knowing that she is going and there is nothing he can do to prevent her. He, too, softly whispers, his love shining in his eyes. Inuyasha holds her in his arms as she takes her last breath with the rain falling down around them. He screams out his anguish, calling out her name over and over again, looking to the skies as her eyes close for the last time. His tears pour down his upturned face, his grief consuming him as his body shakes uncontrollably at the onslaught of rage and hurt.

For days it rains. Continuously, never stopping. Every day, Inuyasha goes outside to sit at the base of the Goshinboku, next to the shrine marking Kagome's grave. Every night, he sits under the branches of the ancient tree, his eyes never wavering from the stars above. Her scent, her love reaches out to him from a distance that he can never conquer. In the darkness he remains. Her thoughts all he has to do.

Days pass into weeks, weeks pass into months, but he remains. Ever faithful, never leaving her side, her sight, except on the rare occasions to protect the small village. Always, he comes back to take up his position at her side. Ever faithful.

And on the days it rains, he stands under the tree, face upturned, tears running down to fall gently at his feet, nurturing the ground beneath him. Minutes turn into hours as he keeps up his silent vigil. And as always when the day turns to night, his grief for his lost love overwhelms him. He feels the ground below, turning his head up to the skies. He calls her name over and over again, cursing, asking the gods to give her back. "Kagome… Kagome…," come the broken pleas. Never ending, never stopping. Never answered.

Four months pass with him never regaining the broken pieces of his heart. Every day, he continues with his guard. His hair has turned lackluster, falling limply down his back. Letting the outside slowly die. To everyone who sees him, the light has vanished from him. The essence of the hanyou has seeped away like the rain pouring down from the heavens above. Slowly, steadily, never stopping.

And as always, the Shikon No Tama glows with the light of the wish needed to make itself pure. His hand constantly rubs it, his fingers never straying for long from the jewel. SHE had given it to him, had entrusted him with it even as her life's blood seeped through his fingers. "Inuyasha… it's yours, do with it as you will. But it must be a pure wish otherwise all of this is for naught. My death will have no meaning. I trust you, with my heart, with my soul, with my love. I love you, now and forever…" And with that she had passed from this world to the next. One moment in his arms, her life bursting forth, a brilliant diamond in a sea of glass, the next a simple grain of sand in an ocean of life, flowing, ebbing away as the pull of destiny took her from his arms.

With these passing thoughts, he makes up his mind to do the last thing she requested of him, make the wish to purify the jewel, setting Midoriko free, setting the world free. Kneeling at the base of his lover's grave, he pours his heart out, tears falling that will not dry. One hand pressed to the soil of the ground covering her and the other clutched to the now complete jewel, he makes his wish. The skies open, rain running down. His anguish climbing to the heavens above, he calls out her name one last time, before whispering the words that would change his life forever. "I wish for the world to have continued the path it was supposed to lead without Narku's interference. Let what should have happened without the taint of evil occur." As the words pass his lips, he feels the sphere warm under his skin, the cool fresh scent of the rain sliding down his cheeks to mingle with the tears already present. The ground at his feet and the dirt under his hand at the base of her shrine begin to tremble. A flash of light nearly blinds him as he falls onto his side, his body covering hers beneath the ground. He gives in to the darkness consuming him.

When he awakes, his senses round to full alert. He looks down only to discover that her grave is gone, the shrine he had dutifully protected for the past months disappeared. The only thing that registers in his mind is the wetness soaking him. Looking up at the sky, he lets tears of hope run down his skin. The heavens are crying with him. The jewel in his hand no longer glows. It's a dull pink, its hue no longer emitting the force of life that was once the great warrior miko. She's free, he thinks to himself. At least someone was given freedom, given life.

He turns, his head dropping to his chest, his ears flattening to his crown. Making his way listlessly, he wanders through the forest, his forest, not really paying attention to what was happening around him. Thoughts of his love racing through his head. At least I have not forgotten her, I still have my memories of the young miko, of Kagome.

Unknowingly, he stumbles into the clearing of the Bone Eater's Well. He turns his eyes forward hoping to see her break free from the bottom, to see her arm pushing up and over. But there is no one, not even a breeze. Only the rain. Always the rain. Running down.

His heart breaking with every step he takes, he makes his way to the side of the well. He grasps the jewel, yanking it from around his neck. "For you, " he whispers as he lets the orb fall to the bottom below.

As he turns around, he fails to notice the small shine the jewel emits as a great priestess from above blows power into the empty shell. "For you," she whispers to the hanyou.

Turning his face to the skies above, he closes his eyes. He sinks to the ground on his knees, his hands covering his face. Oblivious to everything but the grief consuming him, he never feels the ground shake, the bright light engulfing the well, the gasp of surprise echoing from below, the all too familiar scent carried on the breeze. He never hears the sound of small feet hitting the earth, the footsteps crossing to him. Lost in his emotions, he knows nothing until a tiny hand touches his shoulder in a worried caress.

"Are you okay?"

The hanyou opens his eyes, the burst of fire that flew through his veins at the simple touch scorching his entire body. He reaches up, grasping the fingers at his nape. He brings them in front of his face, never raising his head, never daring to hope. He looks at the slim fingers, at the scar that ran down the back of the left hand. The scar received from that last arrow.

Raising his head, he looks into the eyes of the one he thought he had lost forever.

Shaking her head from side to side, she looks into a pair of glowing orbs like the one she had seen at the bottom of the well at her family's shrine right before she had fallen in. Only these orbs were amber, not pink. She kneels before him and reaches a trembling hand forward, pushing the silver locks of hair to the side to look into the face of a boy, a man she should know. He still has hold of her other, not letting go. Emotions swamp his face as she gazes at him, searching for a clue as to why she feels like she's known him for forever.

"Do I know you?" she softly inquires.

The only sound he makes is a low growl, rumbling from deep within his chest. He slowly tugs her forward until she is engulfed in a pair of arms holding her closely. Blinking back tears, she wonders at the sense of rightness of being held by him. Burying her face into his shoulder, she inhales his scent, the musk of pine and wildness somehow comforting to her. Around them, the rain continues its soft descent.

"Wait," her voice calls out, muffled by the long silver mane enveloping them. Leaning back, she gazes in wonder at the glittering amber eyes full of falling tears. "You're called…"

"My name is Inu-"

"Yasha…" she breathes.

"Kagome…."

A/N: Ok, this is my first time at a one-shot. I've been sitting here listening to Josh Groban's song "Remember When It Rained" and I knew I had to write something. I had no intention of writing this entire thing in one sitting, but it came pouring out. I also didn't want to edit it too much, I wanted to leave the raw depth of the emotions I felt when I was writing their story. I tend to add stuff in, making a tale longer than it needs to be. So this might be a little raw, but it was meant to be. So just take it as it is. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it. And please review. I really want to know how you all liked it.

Oh, yeah, I'm still working on "The Claiming". Was trying to get work done on it when this one came over me. Sorry, but I think this little detour was worth it. Ja ne!!

Again, a HUGE thanks goes out to everyone who reviewed this the first time. You all are the true inspiration that keeps me writing my stories. I am really proud of this story. And of course, I'd love to receive more reviews if anyone wants to take pity on me! Domo arigato.


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